Monkeygate played a hand in Australia’s Perth defeat in 2008, reveals Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting, under the leadership of who the Monkeygate involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds broke out, has revealed the scandal mentally affected the Aussie players and believes it also had an effect on the team’s performance. Ponting described the scandal as a ‘low point’ in his career.
The infamous Sydney Test between India and Australia in 2008 is known for the controversial umpiring - which resulted in an unlikely Australian win - but more so for the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal that broke out. Andrew Symonds alleged India’s Harbhajan Singh of racially abusing him, and the immediate aftermath of the incident saw the off-spinner being handed a three-match ban. However, later, upon further hearing, the decision was overturned and Harbhajan walked away with a level one offence, something that irked and disgusted several Australian players.
12 years on, reflecting on the incident, Ricky Ponting, who was the captain of Australia when the whole incident unfolded, revealed that the scandal mentally scarred the Aussie side and believes that it played a significant hand in their defeat in the third Test in Perth. India, after losing the first two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, bounced back in style to tame Australia in Perth by 72 runs, a match that followed the Monkeygate scandal.
"We all felt let down by the end result (of the Monkeygate controversy). The fact that it got in the way of the way we played our cricket for the next Test match was probably the most disappointing thing," Ponting said in a Sky Sports podcast, reported Times of India.
"So we go over there and India at Perth is a game we expect to win and then we lost the match and after that the next few days things just got worse and worse.”
The ugly incident invoked aggressive verbal responses from the media and the boards of both countries and the former Aussie skipper went on to label the incident as the ‘lowest point’ in his tenure as captain. Team India threatened to pull out of the tour before the ICC intervened and ensured that both parties reached an amicable agreement.
"Monkeygate was probably the lowest (point in career as captain). Losing the 2005 Ashes series was tough but I was in full control of that. But I wasn't in full control of what happened during the Monkeygate thing.
"It was a low point and also because it dragged on for so long. I remember coming off the ground during the Adelaide Test match and speaking to Cricket Australia officials about the case because the hearing was at the end of the Adelaide Test match.”
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